Spider-Man: Duty and Loss Chapter 3: Home

*Bang* *bang* *Ratata*

"You know I always wonder if they actually think I'll be taken down when they use guns?" Peter spoke to himself as he quickly flipped left and right dodging gun fire. The men holding the guns continued to fire trying to graze his body. "Come on shoot him! Shoot HIM!", "Squash the bug!", "But aren't spiders arachnids?" *Thwip* "Huh?" *Whoosh* "Finally someone who actually understands!" Peter exclaimed in happiness while the man was confused, but before he could think about it he was already knocked out.

Quickly throwing the prone body against a wall he webbed him up and dodged even more fire. "Peter, maybe they believe in the 1% chance that they'll actually hit you." Peter gave a small chuckle to the female voice that spoke in his ear and continued to dodge the bullets. Resting behind a pillar for a second he quickly checked the reserves of fluid in his web shooters and groaned slightly. He was almost out again, another expense, and he had no money to spare.

Moving up the wall and listening to his spider sense he strained his ears as one of the criminals moved to flank him. *Thwip* A web right to the face and in the next second his head was smacked to the floor knocking him out cold. "Damn it! Damn it!" *Crack* *crack* *Click* *Click* The final thug being scared stiff emptied his clip trying to shoot him before running out. As the clip finally run out Peter moved from where he was hiding and walked up to the man.

His body shuddered as he looked at the red and blue hero closing in, in his eyes the imposing figure of Spider-man coming closer seemed 10 times larger than before. "You know, it's not good to call someone a bug!" "Wha.." *Pow* With a quick right cross to the face the man slumped to the ground.

Looking around at his handy work, Peter gave a small nod before looking down at his tattered uniform, a small grimace coming to his face. "Another trouble to add to the pile." *Sigh* "Peter." The female voice spoke in his ear again. "Yes Crystal?" The female voice continued. "The Police will arrive in 40 seconds; I think we should be going. It is also 6am; you wanted me to remind you." Peter started for a second and looked at the clock inside the bank; it really was already 6am. "Thanks crystal, I'll leave the rest to New York's finest. *Thwip* *Thwip* With a few well placed webs the criminals were tied up just in case they woke up, which wasn't likely.

Leaving the building through one of the windows to the outside, he just made it out before the flash of red and blue lights entered his vision and he heard the blaring of their sirens. *Yawn* Peter stiffened a yawn as he looked towards the rising sun. He decided it was time to go home.

It had been a few months since 'that' happened. After she was gone he was too young to become emancipated and would have instantly been put into child services, possible moved out of the state. Deciding that he didn't want his to happen, Peter left school and officially became homeless. One of the only things he could grab before he left the house he had grown up in his whole life was an old picture of him, Uncle Ben and May.

It broke his heart to leave the house behind and all the memories that came with it, but he would have lost it anyway. Thankfully, or really sadly, there was no one at school that would miss him. All his friends that he used to have either moved, or were dead, and Flash was still being a dick to him, there was no reason to stay.

Since the day he left he was listed as missing by the state and he had to keep clear of any police while outside. Just the wrong word or look would give away his new living conditions.

Peter's job with the bugle had still somehow worked out, he would take picture of himself and make little pay, and no one down there knew that he was now destitute. Because triple J payed him in cash there was no electronic trail for the government to know he worked there. It was with this money that Peter was able to keep a steady supply of web fluid by buying what was necessary. Of course this still wasn't enough, with the cost of all the chemicals used in the fluid and a small membership at one of the pools around town he was able to keep himself clean, and have a little food, but that was it.

Peter definitely didn't have enough money to rent an apartment or fix his costume; the little food he ate wasn't enough for his body that craved the energy food provided. Over the months his body had slowly started to get skinnier and skinnier. This didn't impact him much while crime fighting as he still had super strength and powers, but he definitely wasn't at his prime. Over the years that he had been spider man, he had never been this bad.

Seeing that it was 6 o'clock Peter's body went into auto pilot as he headed for his new home. He had found it one day a month or two back. It may have only been a bench in the park but it was better than most places he could find. He didn't want to sleep in one of the abandoned warehouses that littered the city as they were checked quite often and many drug deals went down. He could of course handle them but he needed some place quiet and that he could relax while sleeping. So naturally when he found the bench that was rarely visited it was one of the only boons he had in a long time.

Peter's body naturally swung through the skyscrapers around him as he stealthily went past avengers tower, he really didn't want to meet anyone while going past, and made his way to an alley near the park.

Leaning in a fire escape and making sure no one was around, he unbundled his clothes that were stuck to a wall and slowly slipped them over his costume. There were about 3 layers of clothes all too baggy for him, that he used. The good thing about all the clothes was the amount of warmth they provided. Putting up the hood on the rough jacket he found one day, he walked out onto the side walk and made his way to the park.

With the amount of extra time he had for being Spider-man now that he didn't have to go to school, he found himself tired a lot more. Especially with the amount of food he ate. H e expertly dodged the people around him as he walked upon the grass towards the bench.

Looking up from the ground as he made his way closer and closer, he noticed a red head in a nice dress sitting down on his bench. She had a perfectly curved body as she sat there; next to her body was a small black bag with a plastic container sitting on the top. Peter smiled wearily as he made his way up to the woman and sat next to her. She had sunglasses on her face and a calm demeanor as he sat next to her.

Of course this wasn't always the case and it was only recently that she showed such a calm demeanor, beforehand when they first met, she was as cold as ice and barely talked, not that Peter minded. Looking down at the plastic tub with food inside, Peter gave a small smile and reached for it. Popping the top off, he took a small sniff of the food and thanked her.

"You know Natasha, you're my second favorite red head that I know." The woman, Natasha, finally turned her head to look at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Second favorite you say?"

Chapter end